can they force us to do overtime

thornbridge

Our company has or is going to install new software to which we will have to learn. The company were going to give us 2 hours training to get use to it. Now we have been told that we will have to learn the new system in our own time and we will get 20 minutes to do it they have said they will pay 20 minutes pay at flat rate and it is up to us to book an appointment to learn this new system.

To me this is forced overtime and i thought that was against the law.

Anyone in the know

Whitewillow_2

It depends on your contract - have a read of this http://www.welfareatwork.co.uk/unpaid-overtime-know-your-rights.html it may be of some use to you!

thornbridge

That's a big help thanks for that Whitewillow.

I have not read the full letter they put up but it does say somthing about being in our contract about we need this training to fullfill our work blah blah blah in other words if we did not do this trining we would be in breech.

Looks like they have us over a barrell

hothothot_3

note the point;

employers dont have to 'pay' overtime.

what this really means is that they have to choose either they pay you money or they give you the equivalent time back as time off. It does not mean they get free labour for nothing!

Oldernotwiser

Many people have to do training and updating of skills in their own time, it's no big deal.

thornbridge

It's a big deal to me. I don't work any overtime i do enough as it is. Some people have got a life outside work .

hothothot_3

thornbridge wrote: »

It's a big deal to me. I don't work any overtime i do enough as it is. Some people have got a life outside work .

Strength in numbers, try to encourage everyone else to challenge it - if you are the only one you may get targeted as a troublemaker.

"its the nail that stands up that will be pounded down" (Japanese saying)

baby_fuzz

why do people get in a tizz about self-improvement - learning new skills etc? I used to do loads of unpaid overtime, as my work was 'job-done'. If you work hard, show that you are competent and willing to learn, you boss should notice, and you would be rewarded for it - even if it's little hings, like giving you leeway when you need to leave work half an hour early some days to pick up the kids (or catch a flight to go on hols).
Everyone is always looking out for themselves these days...

Keith

thornbridge wrote: »

It's a big deal to me. I don't work any overtime i do enough as it is. Some people have got a life outside work .

If you don't attend the training, how will you do your job?

hothothot_3

baby_fuzz wrote: »

Everyone is always looking out for themselves these days...

Yea, especially the shareholders of these companies who get their dividend/capital growth based on unpaid slave labour.

he works in a factory paid by the hour, I think its totally banal to think he should work for nothing, to please his boss? cmon

surreysaver

baby_fuzz wrote: »

why do people get in a tizz about self-improvement - learning new skills etc?

It's not self-improvement - it is the employer expecting everyone to improve the company in their own time. Unless it is a qualification that can be used outside the company, it is not self-improvement.

If the employer takes on new staff, will they expect them to do training in their own time?